First Photos From Star Trek 2 Set Reveals First Look At The Villain

Though we still have no idea what the film is about and who Benedict Cumberbatch is playing, the first photos from Star Trek 2have arrived (from MTV), and they show that Cumberbatch must be some kind of villain. He seems to be in conflict with Zachary Quinto‘s Spock, but maybe Spock is just trying to restrain him because he’s super upset about getting a parking ticket.

Then again, when Zoe Saldana‘s Uhura also has a gun on you, it’s probably not all friendly.

The first word out was that the villain of the piece was Khan Noonien Singh, as played so memorably by Ricardo Montalban in both the TV series and in the movie series’s first sequel, but that may have been scuttled. Cumberbatch appears to be wearing a Starfleet outfit so it’s possible he’s renegade Starfleet personnel, or he may have stolen (or been given) a uniform.

Star Trek 2 is scheduled to open May 17, 2013, so we’re a ways away, and the soonest we could conceivably see a trailer is sometime this summer. How much leaks about the film between now and release is likely to be that much smaller because of photos like this, which point out that J.J. Abrams is right to want to keep details on lock. My guess is that there will probably be a Star Trek presence at Comic-con this year, and that’s the place where an official synopsis and the reveal of Comberbatch’s character will come. Then again, if Cumberbatch is playing someone in the established universe – be it Harry Mudd or Khan – that may say too much. Still, these shots look exciting, right?

Damon worked in the film business as a Film Buyer for a theater chain for many years, which gives him an interesting perspective on the numbers. He's written for Collider, Chud, Screencrush, The DVD Journal and Binaryflix online, and was published by The New York Times and Willamette Week, along with his college, high school and middle school papers.